CiteULike is a free online bibliography manager. Register and you can start organising your references online.

Making a difference? Measuring the impact of an information literacy programme for pre-registration nursing students in the UK Export

HEALTH INFORMATION AND LIBRARIES JOURNAL, Vol. 24, No. 2. (June 2007), pp. 118-127.

Citation Format

[Posts]

View FullText article


lynnefox's tags for this article

information-literacy librarians nursing

X Reviews [Write a review of this article]

X Find related articles from these CiteULike users

X Find related articles with these CiteULike tags

X Posting History

X Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether an information literacy programme for preregistration nursing students at a UK higher education institution is effective in developing their skills and confidence: examines students’ skill levels, factors affecting their confidence, and relationships between skills, confidence and demographic characteristics. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used: pre- and post-tests to measure changes in students’ skills and self-assessed confidence levels after two key sessions in their first semester (n = 29); semi-structured interviews to explore factors affecting confidence (n = 5). Results: Findings demonstrated positive impacts on skills and confidence. Key areas of skill development included: identifying journal articles, selecting search terms and evaluating website quality. Factors affecting confidence included: successful ‘mastery’ experiences in searching for information and the programme itself, especially small-group sessions, handouts and staff support. Evidence on links between skills, confidence and demographic factors was inconclusive. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the programme’s effectiveness and identified areas for development, including the need to help students understand the relative merits of search engines and other sources. Evidence has contributed to a change in departmental policy, making attendance at sessions mandatory. Further studies have been recommended.


X BibTeX record

X RIS record


Privacy Statement | Terms & Conditions
CiteULike organises scholarly (or academic) papers or literature and provides bibliographic (which means it makes bibliographies) for universities and higher education establishments. It helps undergraduates and postgraduates. People studying for PhDs or in postdoctoral (postdoc) positions. The service is similar in scope to EndNote or RefWorks or any other reference manager like BibTeX, but it is a social bookmarking service for scientists and humanities researchers.